Wild 1, Stars 0

The Sports Xchange

The SportsXchange•January 21, 2013

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Zach Parise's first goal in a Wild uniform made the difference, as the Wild improved to 2-0 for the season, shutting out the Dallas Stars 1-0 on Sunday. Dallas got 31 saves from rookie goalie Cristopher Nilstorp in his NHL debut, but could not muster any offense in the Stars' first road game of the season. Parise, the NHL's most talked-about free agent last summer, blasted a rising slap shot from the high slot that sailed through traffic and into the upper right corner of the net in the first period. It was an even-strength goal, although a 4-on-3 Wild power play had just expired. The rest of the night belonged to Minnesota goalie Josh Harding, who had 24 saves for his seventh career shutout. Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis during the lockout, was making his first start of the season. He stopped Dallas wing Ray Whitney on a short-handed break with 1:10 left in the game to preserve the win. Dallas opened the season with a 4-3 home victory over Phoenix on Saturday, but struggled offensively on Sunday. Part of that was due to line juggling necessitated in the first period when Stars captain Brenden Morrow took a puck to the face and had to leave the game for a time. He returned in the second period. The Wild were last in the NHL in shots on goal per game last season, but generated 30-plus shots for the second consecutive night. They close out their season-opening three-game homestand on Tuesday versus Nashville. Dallas visits the Red Wings on Tuesday. NOTES: Zenon Konopka suffered a significant facial laceration and a broken nose on Saturday in his debut with the Wild after taking a high stick to the face from Colorado's Jan Hejda. Konopka played on Sunday despite receiving 30 stitches. His nose has been broken more than a dozen times in his eight-year NHL career. ... Still no sign of left wing Jamie Benn in uniform for the Stars. A restricted free agent, Benn is holding out and has been unable to reach an agreement with Dallas since the end of the lockout two weeks ago. Benn was the Stars' second-leading scorer with 63 points in 71 games last season. ... The Wild's AHL affiliate has played in Texas for more than a decade, but the Houston Aeros could relocate at the end of this season when their lease at the Toyota Center expires. There is speculation that with hockey-ready arenas in Des Moines and Kansas City, it may make financial sense for the Wild's farm team to set up shop closer to Minnesota. ... Six members of the current Stars roster -- Loui Eriksson, Jaromir Jagr, Philip Larsen, Eric Nystrom, Stephane Robidas and Tom Wandell -- spent time playing in Europe during the lockout. Benn was also overseas, playing 19 games in Germany.